Zack's position breakdown: defensive line

Position Breakdown: Defensive Line

Starters:
DE Corey Miller
DT Malik Jackson
DT Maurice Couch
DE Jacquez Smith

Breakdown: A very talented line, but young. Three sophomores will fill the position. These positions are mostly set. Couch has been a starter since committing to Tennessee. Jackson was the best defensive player not named Janzen Jackson in 2010. Smith and Miller have immense talent, especially with Miller’s ability to play both positions. Smith looks to be the pass rusher UT has missed for ten years, and the Couch/Jackson combo will help the run tremendously. The starting line looks to be one of the best if the talent shows. However, in the SEC, it’s very hard to rely on three sophomores as your starting line.

Grade: B

Depth

DE Steven Fowlkes/Martzae Jackson
DT Marlon Walls
DT Joseph Ayres/Daniel Hood
DE Willie Bohannon

Breakdown: Bohannon and Walls are good backups. Walls was hurt last year with an Achilles injury, but looks good and showed much promise his freshman year. Bohannon has provided a spark on third down. The other DE spot is a battle between Fowlkes and Jackson. Fowlkes can play both end and tackle. But Jackson is more of a pure pass rusher. The other defensive tackle spot is between Joseph Ayres and Daniel Hood. Both guys are more known for their hustle/heart than talent/size. This is a weak spot on the defense, and overall not a very good group. Losing Montori Hughes and Ben Martin really hurts this group.

Grade: C

Incoming Players

Breakdown: The Footvols picked up four defensive line prospects overall. Couch will make an instant impact, and was one of the top JUCO players in the country. He will start and contribute immediately. Jordan Williams has a lot of potential and improved throughout the recruiting process. He will probably play this year, but depending on the play of Fowlkes and Jackson, we aren’t sure how much. Trevarris Saulsberry is going to be a 3-4 DE eventually at 270. He and Allan Carson (our future 3-4 NT) will both be redshirted. The class would have loved to add a big time defensive tackle, and depending on the need, the Vols can move Curt Maggitt to end. The staff did a decent job here.

Grade: B-

Key Player: Jacquez Smith, DE. The Vols haven’t had a premier pass rusher in a long time. Other than Parys Haralson, I can’t remember the last big time DE we had. Smith might change all that. He has great passing skills, and his athleticism is off the charts. He has good technique, although he needs to improve his strength to be better at the run. Smith can become an All-American with his potential in the future.

Player to Watch: Daniel Hood, DT. With Montori Hughes gone, the Vols desperately need depth on the defensive line. Hood improved tremendously moving to tackle and could become a huge component to the defense. They need him to step up and perform well to give the starters a blow. He is up to 290 according to utsports.com, which was a concern when they moved him. He has put on the weight, and still shown his tight end quickness.

Overall Grade: It’s an above average defensive line. The staff only had one impact player in recruiting this year at the position and that hurts some. The overall depth is bad. While not the coaching staff’s fault, it’s just not pretty back there. Tennessee has a lot of potential, which means the 2012 line could be stacked. The big question is this year though. The starters look good, but the depth behind it drops it down a notch.

Overall Grade: C+